Individuals tend to want to better their own performance when they repeat the same tasks, and they want to perform better than competitors. These self- and other-referenced performance motives vary independently and lead to more and less satisfaction, respectively. A 42-nation regression study, based on indicators of aggregated performance motivation, work satisfaction, life satisfaction, and subjective well-being, shows that the independence of the two performance motives and the motivation-satisfaction links also hold across countries. Additionally, the positive self-referenced motivation-satisfaction link and the negative other- referenced motivation-satisfaction link are more pronounced across countries with higher levels of income, education, and life expectancy. Consequently, motivational methods that work well in one region may not be easily transferable to other regions.
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